#16 Seeing boats flip

Let's be honest, nobody's perfect. Bad strokes can happen, and sometimes by sheer fate they happen all together. You try to save it, but the second that oar slips out of one of your hands, you have to succumb to the fact that you're going in. Our only advice is....just hold on!

Even if it's intentional, it's still pretty funny.

Awesome!

#15 Rowing Personalities...Every Club Has One

We're not quite sure what it is about the sport of rowing, but it seems to attract some very unique personalities. Every club has them, they are normally a constant source of entertainment, frustration and are usually the butt of most jokes. Below are the typical rowing characters that you love to hate:

1) The Crazy One - This is person is typically known around the club for their unusual social and obsessive behavior, their unexpected outbursts, their bizarre outlook on the sport of rowing, and their complete disregard for their surroundings, which leads to many damages. Despite the crazy person's flaws, they have the ability to unleash their craziness in a race and because of that you want this person in your boat.

2) The D-Bag - This person is smart, good looking and unfortunately a TOTAL D-BAG. You'll typically find this person claiming to train way more than they actually are, lying about their erg scores, trying to sleep with any girl that will have them and always talking about themselves. They are a cocky and egotistical person, who will not help others and can't own up to their own mistakes. They are the know-it-all of every boat and yet have no results to back it up. From time to time you take sympathy upon this person because you see a good side to them and then immediately regret it when they live up to who they are by doing something D-Bag-esque.

3) The Over Controlling Master - This is the grumpy older person that you go out of your way to avoid. They impose ridiculous saftey rules, are always scrutinizing your every move, often think really old, heavy boats are perfectly fine for racing, and they don't like change. These people have been around the sport for so long, therefore they must know EVERYTHING. However, if you do get on their good side they will go out of their way to help you and can be quite nice.

4) The Overly Ambitious Novice - This person has never actually experienced real rowing or actually knows what it takes to be a good rower, however they believe that in a few weeks time they will be able to master the sport of rowing and win a few championship races in the 1x. This person frustrates the hell out of you and all you can do is wait patiently for their 'wake-up call', when they realize they actually don't know what they're doing.

5) The Negative Nancy - This person complains about everything, they are very unmotivating, not enthusiastic and the boat is somehow always tipping on their side. They are never willing to spend the time to get better and often bring down the crew morale. You wonder why this person rows because they seem so miserable doing it.

6) The No Brain - They are physically very muscular and pretty strong rowers. It is pretty difficult to hold a conversation with this person because they never seem to have a thought running through their head. They don't normally do much outside of the rowing world. They have a high pain tolerance because the thought of being in pain never really registers in their brain. You tell them to go and without question they go.

It's sometimes hard to live with them, but things would be so boring without them. And because of that we think all the different rowing personalities are.....

Awesome!

#14 Nap Time!

Three words that define a rower - Sleep, eat, row.

Nothing is worse than having to row in the morning with only 4 hours of sleep. Sleep is essential for recovery, however sleep deprivation is common amongst rowers. If it isn't the early morning practices, it's the intense training that drains all of your energy.

Sitting anywhere other than in a boat, whether it's school or late night movies, if the material isn't riveting it's near impossible to stay awake. Your eyes feel heavy and you feel your body aches. Giving in to a nap is hardly a fight.

With a busy schedule you have to optimize your nap time. You take it when you can get it. Whether it's under a trailer, in a stretcher or anywhere with some fresh grass and shade, these are all perfectly legitimate places to nap.

Away at regattas, it's common for rowers to schedule nap time together. They snuggle up with their roommate for some quality nap time. It's team bonding on a whole different level.

Awesome!

 

Snuggle Buddies - The Movie!

#13 - Getting the perfect spot in the boat house to store your boat

Just like parking spots, some racks in the boathouse are way better than others.

Ideally you want your rack to be at shoulder height and away from any areas of possible chaos. You want your boat to be clear of all boats that are used by either novice or highschool crews, as they often don't have the perception of where their rigor lies amongst the hulls of other boats. And the closer your boat is to the water, the better.

Prime location in a boathouse is hard to come by, especially when you aren't 6'5" and you need assistance reaching most of the higher racks. Getting that prime spot makes life a little easier getting the down to the water and a lot easier after a hard practice.

The perfect spot is just one of those simple pleasures in a rower's life and because of that, it is.....

Awesome!

Impending doom on a pully. One of the more sketchy spots to 'hang' a new 1x.

#12 - A Good Coxswain

Crew boats, they are only as fast as their coxswain can steer straight.

Just like rowers, some coxies are better than others. When you find a good cox life for a rower is made much easier.

These talented smaller folk with big voices are often overlooked and underestimated by many. They stand quietly beside their crews while most of the glory gets placed on the athletes. They are the care takers of the group, making sure everyone is properly clothed and adequately hydrated and fed. They often appear at regattas with some form of baked deliciousness for the athlete's post-race. They are the masters of race plans, leaving the athletes with little to think about other than pulling hard.

UTRC's finest KM.

A good cox naturally gains the respect of its athletes and without question us rowers obey and try to soak in every little word that comes out of their mighty mouths. They are the most commanding personal chauffeur you will ever have!

Spot the cox.

Awesome!

Special shout out to C&L's favorite coxies - KR, AZ, JA, KM and SHT you guys are awesome all on your own!

#11 Crew breakfast after practice

Who SERIOUSLY doesn't like breakfast? Especially with crew mates and you're starving after a tough workout. Going to breakfast has become somewhat of a tradition and part of it is because it's such a perfectly timed meal for rowers.

It's our chance to relax and laugh about all things rowing (despite trying to not talk about rowing) - new found rowing love (who slept with who!), new good looking rowers at your club, latest erg scores, boat movers and boat ruiners, coxswains getting boob jobs, that time you almost flipped during your race warm-up, that time you almost flipped during the race, that time you almost flipped at the end of the race and that time you actually flipped.

Rowing gossip is endless, but the greatest part of breakfast is getting to know other rowers off the water. It's one of the best forms of crew bonding and a great way to learn about their experiences, which is something you can't do in the boat.

Bacon, eggs, and pumpkin pancakes - the perfect compliment to any workout.

Awesome!

Head of the Charles breakfast tradition at the Breakfast Club

 

Top Rower's Breakfast in Toronto

- Auntie's and Uncle's (where we are known as 'The Rowers')

- George Street Diner (try their soda bread...awesome!)

- Morning Glory

- Cherry Street Diner (the closest option to HBC)

- Red Room (best bang for your buck, 2 for 1 breakfasts)
- Lakeview Diner (order the Ossington Massive)

#10 People who erg to tone their arms

Rowing is a leg sport. Don't get me wrong your arms need to be strong, but in no way should your arms be taking most of the workload.

We can see how you would think that this is an appropriate upper body exercise, but from one rower to a non-rower, you're better off doing pull-ups and push-ups. One, you'll save yourself from looking ridiculous and two, you'll save your back. 

Despite the video's hilarity and our criticism, these little things provide endless entertainment for a rower, and because of that erging to tone your arms is...

Awesome!

#9 Australian Men's 4-

This is more for the ladies, but men can appreciate their good looks and extreme athleticism...Something to aspire to.

Rowing is an amateur sport and it's not common to see the athletes getting all dolled up for a photo shoot, but when they do they make it look easy and pretty damn good.

Awesome!

#8 Novice Rowing

We all have to start somewhere, and in rowing that somewhere is not a pretty place. As a novice rower, you have no concept of good set, good technique or anything good for that matter, and it's common to think you are much better than you actually are. It's all about the learning curve, being coachable, staying positive during those days where the boat just can't get set, and remembering to have a little fun because in the grand scheme of things you're a novice rower and have a long way to go.

Fire and water don't mix.

And for all of those experienced rowers out there, share your knowledge and be encouraging towards those novice rowers because just remember...at one point you sucked too.

 

Encouraging laughter from the coach boat.

Awesome!

#7 Urban Dictionary's Definitions of Rowing

Urban dictionary knows what they're talking about.

1) The sport that consists of 1 to 8 people in which you row a boat with one oar each. It is extremely difficult and takes lots of different abilities. Most people think it involves only arms, which is so far from the truth. Most of the terminology can be related to sex, like the cox, crabs, and phrases like "In rowing, the catch is aggressive, the hands quick, the slide smooth, the drive powerful, and the oar is always hard." It is mainly a collegiate sport, but has been practiced around the world for ages.

2) A sport where people race boats backwards on water. It is arguably the most physically intense sport out there; it is not for the weak.

3) Rowing is the only sport to originate as a form of capital punishment. I still can't figure out why I like it so much.

Awesome!

#6 Erg Faces

There's nothing glamorous about erging. There's a love-hate relationship between rowers and the erg and we've yet been able to capture the love on camera. Instead, we've found these mixed emotions:

Over thinking it.

Anger.

SS seems to be enjoying this a little too much. Not acceptable.

Addicted to pain. Erging junkie.

Just plain Nasty.

Tears of pain. 

AND THE BEST ERG FACE GOES TO.........

Too scared to see his splits.

 

Possessed by the ERG

 No explanation needed. Erg Faces....

Awesome!